With four jumpouts under her belt, winning the last three, Tony and Calvin McEvoy's Hanseatic filly Audio Pop Cam was too good for her rivals, starting favourite to win the Unox Casa Maiden Plate (1100m) at Pakenham with ease.
Away well from barrier nine, jockey Jamie Melham went forward where she found herself sitting in second place on the outside of the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jn trained Undisputable (Zoustar), who was one of four emergencies who gained a run in the 12-horse field.
With Beau Mertens happy to maintain the lead aboard Undisputable with Audio Pop Cam a length back in second, while the second favourite Meldoia Perfecta (Zousain) tracked the leader on the rail in third position.
As Undisputable drifted off the rail as the field headed into the home straight, Melham asked Audio Pop Cam for an effort, moving up strongly to go straight past the leader.
Drifting back towards the inside rail, suggesting she still has plenty of improvement, Audio Pop Cam’s one and a quarter length victory suggests she is one to follow.
Undisputable finished in second with a further four lengths back to Grahame Begg’s Meldoia Perfecta in third.
“They've got themselves a very talented little filly here,” enthused Melham post-race.
“She's obviously got talent, but her attitude and temperament will take her a long way."
“She was perfect out there today, first start for her.”
“I think that win will take her a long way. She'll improve. She's got a lot of ability, like I said, but she just doesn't know how to do it yet. It's her first start in the race, so can't hold that against her.”
Bred and raced by Rosemont Stud, who stand Hanseatic himself, Audio Pop Cam is the first runner and winner out of the unraced Toorak Toff mare Jaykay Roller, herself a half-sister to the Group 2 placed Storytime and the Listed placed Sense of Hite (dam of the Group1 Australian Oaks third placed Quintessa).
Jaykay Roller foaled a colt by Hanseatic the following season before a filly to Extreme Warrior before visiting Hanseatic once again with that foal due in the spring.
The sire of stakes performers Befuddle, Bermondsey and Rohesia from his first crop runners, the Group 3-winning, Group 1 placed Hanseatic (Street Boss) will cover his fifth book of mares at Rosemont Stud in the spring, standing at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST).
